The Ciarán McDonald factor

I would lean towards Kerry. Of course there is a massive hunger in Mayo, but to me, Kerry have the all-round advantages. They've got this new resilience too, and I've been most impressed with their defence. It's going to take some breaking down.

This hinges in a large part on whether Eamon Fitzmaurice does a man-marking job on McDonald. We've seen the damage McDonald can do - he's their real playmaker - and how so much of their attack comes through him. Mayo like to get to him with, say, five-yard fist passes so he can pinpoint the inside forwards, and when that comes off he sends in terrific ball.

So Kerry will have to look at a man-marking job on McDonald. Kerry do have options in, say, Aidan O'Mahony or Tomás and Marc Ó Sé, who might be better suited to the job. Fitzmaurice likes to hold the middle with his physical presence, although he's deceptively fast over short distances too.

McDonald is so good at travelling and is also willing to take players on. If he hits form he demands very tight marking, but I feel Kerry will see how things pan out and make a decision then.

Brian Maloney is going to drift out the field anyway, but there's huge pressure on McDonald, and it could be that Fitzmaurice could do quite well.

Séamus Moynihan could be another option, at least in a central role, but I feel that if he was even close to being fully fit then he'd be in the starting team. Obviously those who've been watching him for the last couple of weeks know where he's really at. But you're talking about a game of really high intensity and there has to be a question mark about his ankle being up to it.

So I think Kerry will either get Fitzmaurice to push up close and do a tight marking job, see how that pans out, or else just let him hold back and protect the full-back line, and let someone else do the marking job.

Overall, I don't think either of these midfield pairings would put the fear of God into anyone.

There is no great reputation in any of the four so that makes it quite an even battle.

Both the Kerry players have a slightly better work ethic, and are slightly more athletic. Eoin Brosnan, in particular, is very effective with his forward runs, while William Kirby has great upper-body strength, and is great at holding the middle. That means Brosnan can get forward more.

Mayo do have the best fielder of the four in Ronan McGarrity, partly because of his basketball background. That gives them an advantage in the air. I was surprised Fergal Kelly is to start and David Brady is not, as Brady is so strong and mobile, and is also capable of kicking points. But there is such intensity at midfield now that having a player to come in is a real necessity.

Kerry are well off too in that Tommy Griffin is a strong player, and Séamus Moynihan is another option if the pressure comes on in the second half, especially with his experience.

The fact that Darragh Ó Sé is not playing means all the Kerry players know they have to produce the goods and cover their own corners.

There is no real star in this Kerry team and there's a very good attitude in the team now, which perhaps has averted the situation where players would look at someone else to bail them out.

Still both midfields are similar. I think there will be a lot of breaking ball tomorrow, so it might not be pretty in the middle of the field. Whoever wins that breaking ball will go a long way towards winning overall. And on that note I would pick Brosnan and Kirby, partly because of their experience.

There is going to be a very intriguing contest between Cooper and Mayo's corner back Dermot Geraghty. Cooper has improved again this season, and it will take very serious marking to hold him. He is willing to make the hard runs to gain possession, also to be available for the ball, which makes for very difficult marking. Cooper has it all.

Obviously, Mayo have picked out Geraghty from their under-21 team because they feel he is up to it. If he can do even a reasonable job on Cooper then that will go a long way towards helping Mayo win. But it's a big job, especially in the wide-open spaces, which suit fast forwards like Cooper. The pitch is tailor-made for him and players around him know how to find the spaces too.

I know Liam McHale has a big input to the Mayo tactics because of his basketball background, and something he talks about is to "double-team", which means Mayo might need to devise some help around the full-back area, and not to isolate Cooper one-on-one.

Cooper has played most of his football in the left corner, usually with Mike Frank Russell in the other. John Crowley, though, is strictly a right-footed player, while Cooper has been used to having Russell in the other corner, and they've proved lethal together. It was a bold call to give Crowley the nod, but you have to admire the way they've gone with current form and who was looking good in training.

But what a substitute Russell is. Crowley will break up the Mayo full-back line, and Russell's silky skills will contrast with that if he comes in. So I think Gary Ruane will also have a busy day.